<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/"></a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/">Bern’s Steakhouse</a>

1208 S Howard Ave

Tampa, Florida 33606

United States

+1 (813) 251-2421

The Food:

Tuna
sushi with salmon roe

French
onion soupe au gratin

Stone
crab claws with house salad

Chateaubriand
with Béarnaise sauce, green beans and onion strings

The Wines:

<table><tbody><tr><td>1983 Weingut
Adolf Rheinart Erban Riesling Ayler Kupp Kabinett&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td>95</td></tr><tr><td>1980 Vieux Château Certan</td><td>93</td></tr></tbody></table>The
first rule of Bern’s is: “Don’t talk about Bern’s.” I
remember the furore after some innocent committed the cardinal sin of
mentioning Bern’s Steakhouse on ye olde Parker forum. I mean, I get it. A wine
list that makes the Mariana Trench look shallow is asking to be pillaged once
word gets out. Like the black rhino, Blackberry phones and democracy, such wine
lists are on the cusp of extinction. We want those precious bottles for me, me,
ME! It is
an understandable but self-serving, hypocritical stance. You could stop right
here and read Bern’s <a target="_blank" href="https://bernssteakhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BSH-Wine-List-62025.pdf">full wine list</a> at your leisure—just give
yourself a couple of hours and you should have finished the sparkling section. For
years I heard tales of bacchanals involving ancient clarets being martyred one
by one simply because it was a Tuesday. Finally, the opportunity to visit arose
on a trip to the Sunshine State after a guest appearance at a Commanderie de
Bordeaux powwow in nearby Sarasota. Joined by my hip-swinging colleague and
Tampa native, Billy “Guitar For Hire” Norris, I had three hours to see if Bern’s
deserves its reputation.The
history of Bern’s is fascinating. The steakhouse was founded by Manhattan-born
Bern Laxer, who settled in Tampa after running out of money en route to
California with Gert, his better half. They inched their way into the
restaurant business from opening an ice cream parlour in 1953 to eventually
acquiring the “Beer Haven” bar with the help of investors. The original
name was supposed to be “Bern and Gert,” however, short of dollars, they reused
lettering from the old signage and added “Steak House,” since the phone company
disallowed single-name listings. Soon after opening, the duo discovered that
their real estate agent had not been granted the landlord’s permission to sell
the property and, after threatening not to renew their lease, they placated the
landlord by reverting to a restaurant. Over coming years, the couple bought
adjoining shops until the restaurant reached its present size. After Bern and
Gert died in 2002 and 2020, respectively, their son, David Laxer, took over the
operation.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771517000840-berns+chef_VT.JPG">Chefs working in the kitchen.Bern’s
is not located in a salubrious part of town, then again, nor is the three-star
Martin Berasagetui in San Sebastien. Arriving at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon, a
queue stretched into the car-park, several parties hoping for a last-minute
table. Surveying the diners, I saw a mixture of locals and families with
children, many dressed smartly for the occasion, a couple of gentlemen clearly
wearing a tie for the first time in years. For the record, ties and jackets are
not required, though I recommend you dress sharper than you would for your average
steakhouse. The clientele seemed to be those that appreciate good food but care
little for haute cuisine or celebrity chefs. They are out for their special
night, just like me.The
lobby is dark, with moody, soft red lighting, ornate lampshades and oil
paintings that imbue the interior with the ambiance of a European maison noblesse
with a touch of sixties brothel. It is busy and buzzy, neatly attired staff
flitting around, performing their duties with the utmost efficiency. From the
moment you enter these doors, the service is impeccable. The staff are not
judging anyone based on what they plan to drink. As we are escorted to our
table, I realise that Bern’s is certainly much larger than expected—I could get
lost here. The décor is classic French in style, and we are seated in a windowless
room with oak-panelled walls festooned with old black-and-white framed
photographs of André Tchelitscheff and<a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Tchelistcheff"></a> neat white tablecloths. I like
the atmosphere. It might be Sunday afternoon, but many restaurants would kill
for such a happening vibe. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516542760-berns+interior_VT.JPG">The inviting and buzzy dining room.You’re only
going to be disappointed with the food if you are a certified food snob or have
the misguided notion that fine wine requires fine cuisine. I could not disagree
more. No, Bern’s is not Michelin-starred, nor are there pretensions towards such
unnecessary accolades. It’s in the name, right? Steakhouse. Bern’s is not
pretending to be anything otherwise. I would add that is definitely an upmarket
steakhouse, better than the shoddy chains that fester in central London. Give
me a straightforward menu when drinking wines that demand contemplation. I want
the food to be delicious, but not technical or challenging. I don’t want
flavours to impede my senses. I want dishes to provide a blank but delicious
canvas. This is exactly what Bern’s does in exemplary fashion. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516563315-berns+sushi_VT.JPG">Tuna
sushi with salmon roe.We
begin with a tuna sushi with salmon roe. Perfectly fine, even for someone who’s
a stickler for Japanese food. We then move on to a French onion soupe au gratin.
This is warming (not that one needs warming in Florida, even in January) and
rich in flavour without being overpowering. I’m mindful of letting it cool down
so&nbsp;my tongue doesn't sizzle before touching the Riesling.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516581145-berns+soup_VT.JPG">French onion soupe au gratin.The stone
crab claws are finicky to disassemble, as always. Just my two cents/pence, but
the effort put into cracking shells and getting your fingers all mucky is
usually rewarded by a morsel of meat that begs the question: Was that worth the
effort? That said, the crab meat is succulent and delicious.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516701954-berns+crab_VT.JPG">Stone crab claws with house salad.The
main course is (quelle surprise) the steak. Bern’s offers steak in an
array of taxonomies, a variety of shapes and forms. We plump for the Chateaubriand
with Béarnaise sauce and jacket potato. The meat is lightly seasoned, tender
and just wonderful. It does not need to be anything else, fulfilling its
purpose with minimum of fuss. The fried onion strings are nicely seasoned and
not too heavy, and the green beans are al dente.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516674003-berns+steak_VT.JPG">Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce, green beans and onion strings.We did
not have time to visit Bern’s famous dessert room. An unforgivable sin, but it
risked me missing my flight back to the UK and the important Southwold tasting.
However, we did accept a brief guided tour of their cellar, a veritable Aladdin’s
cave of bottles from floor to ceiling. I’m sure that I spotted the ark of the
covenant at one point. I was impressed that despite the size of the Bern’s
operation, it was clear how much care is taken in terms of storage—for example,
they have a separate cold room just for their wines by the glass.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516597137-berns+cellar_VT.jpg">The storied wine cellar at Bern’s.Given
all the hoopla that preceded my visit, anything less than the best wine list I
had ever set eyes upon would have disappointed. It did
not disappoint. To put
that into context, perhaps contentiously, I thought it far better than its
nearest competitor, Tour d’Argent in Paris, which I had visited just three
weeks earlier. Maybe the difference is range, insofar that whilst both cover
classic regions, Bern’s has a stunning array of mature Californian bottles that
its Parisian cousin ignores. Some bemoan that Bern’s list is not what it used
to be, and given the inexorable consumption of older bottles, that is doubtlessly
true. Yet it is still an incomparable treasure trove. In fact, the only
downside is that wine lovers will require several days to peruse the list and
fret about what to choose. Keep that in mind if you are on a romantic date with
someone who does not want to listen to your two-hour monologue about the 1974
vintage in Napa. With so
much wine to choose from, I recommend you put together a group, throw in a wad
of bills, then go make hay. As tonight was just Billy and myself, I felt the
urge to be adventurous whilst still choosing something drinkable, since we were
limited to just a white and a red. How
about a 1913 Domaine de Chevalier? Never
had a red Bordeaux from that forgotten vintage. However, the bottle could not
be located. OK. A
1931 Pichon-Lalande, another elusive vintage. I
appreciate that before opening anything, our sommelier returned to show us our
suggestions. I can abide a low fill level. Some of my greatest experiences have
been with low ullages, however, this 1931 augured disappointment. Right, we
were running out of time, so we asked the sommelier to choose a Riesling of her
liking, and I plumped for an esoteric vintage Pomerol. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516615477-berns+ayler_VT.JPG">Bacchus must've been&nbsp;smiling, because we hit two bullseyes. Kudos to our sommelier. The 1983 Riesling Ayler Kupp Kabinett from Weingut Adolf Rheinart Erban
epitomises everything that is glorious about mature Riesling. Looking youthful
for a 43-year-old white, the 1983 delivers a spellbinding bouquet of lanolin,
Nashi pear and a splash of Japanese mirin. Just the precision, the shimmering
vitality of this wine leaves you grinning from ear to ear. The palate is
intense yet effortless and elegant, perfectly balanced with a slight viscosity.
Showing fleeting hints of apricot and again, pear, there is a very slight
candied note on the finish, though this Ayler Kupp could not be described as
“petrolly.” Wonderful. Maybe I should miss that flight and order another?<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1771516635175-berns+vcc_VT.JPG">I chose
the 1980 Vieux Château Certan because it is one of the only vintages of
VCC that had previously eluded my palate. Flicking through wine literature, it
is almost impossible to find any professional reviews. This was an interesting
juncture for the Pomerol stalwart. Alexandre Thienpont was in the salad days of
his career, shacked up in a rundown farmhouse called Le Pin just a hop, skip
and a jump away. Georges Thienpont, his father, ran VCC—his name adorns the
label.I
recall a splendid 1980 Le Pin that defied all expectations. Could it be that
some of that magic rubbed off on VCC? Answer:
yes. The
1980 totally defies expectations. It unfurls with brambly red fruit, iron
filings and an almost pastille-like purity, developing subtle floral scents
with aeration. The palate is light on its feet, nimble thanks to the expected
higher acidity than you would find in a warmer vintage like, say, 1982. Yet
there is absolutely no sign of dilution or any underripeness. It glistens in
the glass, a wine that just seems pleased to be appreciated. Chapeau, Georges
Thienpont. Billy chauffeurs
me back to the airport. I am rueing not being able to experience the dessert
room, though it gives me an excuse to return. Boarding my plane, I imagine the
fabled warehouse on the opposite side of the block stacked with bottles and
cases amassed over decades. What treasures does it hold? Even the Bern’s team
doesn’t know, since they never kept records or receipts back in the day.









































































In
the words of the Terminator: Bern’s, I’ll be back.© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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